“It’s Friday morning in Gaza. This is what you need to know”
The United States has announced the first round of sanctions under President Joe Biden’s new executive order against violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Approximately 500,000 Jewish settlers currently live in the West Bank, encroaching on land that the Palestinians, along with the international community, consider territory for a future Palestinian state. The situation near these settlements has worsened in recent months, leading to violence and unrest.
The sanctions will affect four people accused of directly perpetrating acts of violence or intimidation in the West Bank. These individuals have been accused of starting and leading riots, setting buildings, fields, and vehicles on fire, attacking civilians, and causing property damage. While the decree is not expected to address the situation in Gaza, it will be one of the most significant actions Biden has taken to criticize Israel since the war began.
Some other top stories on the war and tensions in the Middle East include the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) being under pressure as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens. The main UN aid agency in Gaza warns that it will likely have to stop its work in the Middle East at the end of February due to funding suspensions.
The body count in Gaza since October 7 has risen to over 27,000, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Around 70% of the victims have been women and children.
There is also ongoing negotiations for a hostage agreement with the US State Department’s top Middle East official stating that she is not aware of any definitive response from Hamas to a proposal for the release of hostages and a sustained pause in the fighting in Gaza.
Additionally, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. response to the deadly drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan last weekend would be “multi-layered.” The United States believes an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militants called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the attack. Lastly, the United States reaffirmed its support for the development of an independent Palestinian state despite recent reports suggesting otherwise.